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Synfacts 2008(4): 0332-0332  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1042916
Synthesis of Natural Products and Potential Drugs
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Synthesis of (R,R,R)-α-Tocopherol

Contributor(s): Philip Kocienski, Arndt W. Schmidt
C. Rein, P. Demel, R. A. Outten, T. Netscher, B. Breit*
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany and DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland
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Publication History

Publication Date:
19 March 2008 (online)

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Significance

The term vitamin E covers a group of eight natural antioxidants with (R,R,R)-α-tocopherol being the most active and best known member. In the present synthesis the stereodirecting effect of an ortho-diphenylphosphano benzoate (o-DPPB) was employed to control an asymmetric hydroformylation (D → E) and an asymmetric substitution (F → H).